Upon leaving White House, ask for money

The ink was not dry from President Barack Obama signing the health care bill before Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was e-mailing supporters asking for contributions to her continued political health.

“Already, my opponents are using passage of comprehensive health care reform as a rallying cry – and we need to continue building a strong grassroots campaign to reach out to voters in every corner of the state and let them know what is at stake in this election,” Murray wrote.

The senator predicted “a tough challenge” to her bid for a fourth term in this fall’s election.

State Sen. Don Benton, a long shot Murray challenger, is using health care reform as a cry for attention.

Benton has introduced a bill that would prohibit the federal government from requiring Washington citizens to acquire health insurance – a key provision of legislation that cleared Congress on Sunday.

Murray was at the White House for Tuesday’s signing ceremony.

“Ranking right up there with the creation of Social Security, the enactment of Medicare, and the passage of civil rights laws, today’s signing of comprehensive health care reform legislation will have an enormous positive impact on our country for decades to come,” she wrote.

But the senator’s eyes are on March 31, the next Federal Election Commission deadline for filing fund raising reports. The Murray campaign has been hitting up donors, hoping for a war chest that will discourage challengers.